Roman Polanski, child rapist

Harvey Weinstein should write an open letter to all child rapists of the world too instead of just to the film-makers:

Weinstein, meanwhile, issued an open letter urging “every U.S. filmmaker to lobby against any move to bring Polanski back to the U.S.,” arguing that “whatever you think of the so-called crime, Polanski has served his time.”

Harper Shows Some Snark

The following is from a Question Period duel between Harper and Layton.

“When I was a boy, my father used to say that I should work on things that I am good at. The NDP is not good at fighting taxes. The NDP has opposed cutting the federal sales tax. The NDP opposed reducing business taxes. It opposed our cuts to personal taxes. It opposed our cuts to seniors. The NDP never saw a tax it did not like and never saw a tax it did not want to hike. Everybody knows that.”

What is truly hilarious, however, is Layton’s lame duck come back.

Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister is not so good at is saying that with a straight face.

Just thought I might share that with you. Have a good night, everyone.

Global Grape Glut?

So why isn’t grape juice cheaper?

New York City Loves Brutal Totalitarianism

According to the official website of the Empire State Building, the grand edifice will be lit up with red and yellow lights today and tomorrow in honour of the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

Do we really need to go over all the reasons that no one in the West should celebrate this anniversary: Tiananmen Square, Falun Gong, Tibet, Taiwan, the Cultural Revolution, Daoxian Massacre, the one-child policy, the suppression of dissidents, environmental degradation, economic oppression, forced relocation, etc. etc.?  One might be stumped as to why anyone would choose to honour the birth of this international menace, but I’m sure New York is going to get some favourable trade initiatives and maybe some increased tourism dollars thanks to their kowtowing.

One would hope that a city whose most recognizable landmark is a symbol of liberty would not turn its second most recognizable landmark into a symbol of all that liberty abhors.

One would be wrong.

(H/T: Greg Pollowitz)

Trouble in Paradise?

Michael Ignatieff has been sailing through some stormy seas, with the recent resignation of his Quebec lieutenant and subsequent party grumbling.

I don’t think anyone believes the Outremont situations was well handled, and I don’t think anyone believes that Ignatieff is happy with the end result.

Iggy’s Toronto clique is starting to irritate the Quebecois, and if you’ve been watching the polls, you know that isn’t good for anyone.

Presenting Election Target: A Fun New Site For Political Junkies & Regular Folks Too!

As many regulars around here know, I’ve been fairly quiet lately and for good reason! Since the spring, I’ve been working on a new project with some talented friends called Election Target, which aims to track democratic elections around the world and allow folks who register with the site to predict the individual district results, as well as the overall result.

While we’re still polishing off the site, I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome everyone of all political stripes to visit the site, and our maiden election coverage page — the next Canadian federal election!

For those who like prizes, we’re also giving away a $100 Amazon.ca gift card to the lucky individual who wins the draw Election Target will be holding at the end of the election (whenever our leaders decide that is!). Ballots can be earned by making correct predictions so the more ridings you predict the outcome for, the better your chances!

Lorne Gunter = nanny-state conservative confusion

Lorne Gunter apologizes for having blamed Robert Dziekanski who was killed by RCMP officers.

Next the force needs to be remade from top to bottom, stressing its responsibility and rectitude.

Only then will it have any chance of repairing its tarnished reputation.

The problem with Gunter is that he has blind trust in the police and the socialization of a particular market: security. Like a common socialist, he just thinks we need to get better people commanding us and taking care of us. Then all will be well with the world. I wonder if he sees that the airport security staff should have taken care of their own security themselves.

The problem is that the airport staff had no choice but to resort the RCMP instead of taking care of security problems internally. That is how international airports are compelled to operate in these matters.

If this happened in a shopping mall, the property owner of the mall would have an incentive to seek a peaceful resolution to the disruption. A customer killed by the mall staff would do a lot of damage to the mall´s reputation. Not so with the police or the RCMP at the airport.

The RCMP hold a monopoly in their industry. Passengers have no choice but to accept their service whether it be good, bad or mortal.

With Bill 198, Ontario Could Hurt the Poor, the Middle Class and the Wealthy

Bill 198 is, potentially, a very harmful piece of legislation.  It will empower municipalities to enact policies that will drive up housing prices, cause rental shortages and hamper economic growth.  Worst of all, it could do the greatest harm to the poor.

MPP Cheri DiNovo (NDP) has introduced Bill 198, an amendment to the Planning Act that would allow municipalities to require developers set aside a certain percentage of new housing units for affordable housing (inclusionary housing appears to be the new buzz word), and the government has given their tacit approval.  Sure, the province won’t actually enact price controls with this legislation, and zoning laws rightfully belong with municipalities, but the implications of this legislation could be severe.

“Affordable” housing requirements do anything but create affordable housing.  The requirement for affordable housing will act as a cost on new development, thus deterring companies from building new housing units.

Price ceilings like “affordable” housing have the same effect as increased taxation.  They shift the price of a good away from its equilibrium point.  At the artificial price, demand will be higher but suppliers will create less of the good (in this case, housing).  The deadweight loss will rob society of wealth and we’ll have fewer housing units available.  Further, not all rents will be kept artificially low.  With lower development, and, thus, lower supply of housing, we will witness an an upward pressure on rent for all non-affordable housing units.  Vacancies will drop precipitously, and fewer people will be in the homes that they would have chosen had the government not intervened.  This will be a sub-optimal result for everyone.

This past year has been arguably the worst year, economically, that Ontario has witnessed in quite a long time.  We’re worried about economic expansion; we’re worried about people being able to pay rent.  This is not the time for the province or any municipality to put in place regulations that will stifle growth, increase the cost of housing and create a net drag on the economy.  It doesn’t matter what your motivation is; you’re going to hurt people; you’re going to hurt the poor.

This is pretty basic economics.  Surely Premier Dalton McGuinty or the Ontario Housing Minister, Jim Watson, or someone either in the Liberal caucus or advising Liberal MPs knows this.  Surely, not every Liberal is blinded by the nice talk of “affordable” housing.  The economic illiteracy on display is especially sad considering that Jim Watson was mayor of Ottawa in the late 1990s when such housing policies drove skyrocketing rental prices and led to an estimated 2% vacancy rate for rental units.  (The sadness is compounded by the fact that the Premier is also from Ottawa and must have been aware of what was a huge story in the city.)

If we are worried about people being able to afford housing, the last thing we should do is institute policies for “affordable” housing.  If we have to help people pay the rent, there is a simple way to do it; give them money.  Direct wealth transfers have the least distortionary effect on the economy; do not, directly, stifle economic growth; and would actually allow those receiving them to make choices for themselves.

“We Can Do Better”: The Latest Liberal/Toronto Star Attempt At Scandal

Okay, so it’s quite obvious to everyone about now that the Conservative candidate for Markham should be nixed — not because he’s stating any inconvenient accusations against the party he plans to run for in the next federal election, but because his statements betray a sever lack of ability to do basic research. Such a candidate isn’t just a liability to the party he (or she) runs for, but simply to the very voters of Canada who would have to live with such an individual’s decisions in the House. That said, I think that Gordon Landon is perfectly qualified to work as a “reporter” for the Toronto Star, having clearly demonstrated the level of quality that the Star has made its trademark.

That brings us to the next element of this “scandal” — is it, as Susan Delacourt suggests, another sponsorship scandal? I’d be embarrassed if I was Susan tonight because both cases are very different — the beneficiaries in the Chretien government’s scheme was Liberal Party insiders who gave Canadians nothing, but took loads of our tax dollars. In the case of the action plan, the beneficiaries are the citizens who chose to use the fruits of the Harper government’s announced plans: upgraded highways won’t have a toll both to check to see if you voted Conservative in the last election; Toronto Island’s Centerville washrooms won’t include a rugged outhouse for Warren Kinsella’s kids because they’re related to the infamous Asian-food connoisseur; and the Montréal Fashion and Design Festival won’t have special reserved seating for Conservative internship alumni. Oh, and by the way, how many Tories currently hail from either of Canada’s two largest cities again? Or is Kinsella, the Star et al. now counting Senators too?

Stephen Harper’s government is open game for criticism; Harper himself makes no claim to perfection and I respect Liberal attacks on the record of the current government, even if I don’t agree. But folks, let’s be honest for a moment — this is downright silly! Unless the critics who are at pains to try to make this a huge election-defining scandal wish to call the government website a lie, this link…

http://www.plandaction.gc.ca/eng/map.asp

has an entire map’s worth of projects that got stimulus funding. True, not all cities will get exactly the same number of dollars per population but it also shows that Toronto Island (split by Olivia Chow and Jack Layton themselves), neighbourhoods like Westmount and Kahnawake (which is across the way from Paul Martin’s old Montreal riding), and the ENTIRE PROVINCE OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR (which has no representation in the elected government) all have projects that got funding from the plan that we’re now hearing is a scandal. There’s more too…just look at the map. Of course, the Star-Liberals are once again showing that they never let facts in the way of an argument; unfortunately, now they have a little cheerleader from Markham to help too.

Turning Children Into Sex Offenders

A little over two years ago, ESPN.com told the tragic story of Genarlow Wilson.  Genarlow was homecoming king.  He was popular.  He was a football player being recruited by Ivy League schools.  Then he went to prison.  At 17, Genarlow had consensual sex with a 15 year old.  Because of a quirk in Georgia law, Genarlow was sentenced 10 years.  He was sentenced to 10 years without parole.

By grace, Genarlow is out of jail.  He served 32 months before being released in the fall of 2007.

Genarlow and others implicated in this case were offered plea agreements.  All but Genarlow accepted.  They did little time compared to Genarlow’s sentence.  Accepting the plea was the fast track to freedom, but accepting the plea meant becoming a registered sex offender.  As a registered sex offender, Genarlow could not have lived in the same home as his little sister, so Genarlow couldn’t accept the plea; so Genarlow had 32 months of his life stolen.

Debates are emerging about the efficacy of sex offender registries.  There’s a worry that the registries do little while giving a false sense of security.  A worthy topic, certainly, but not the only important aspect of this issue.

If Genarlow had accepted the plea and become a registered sex offender, he wouldn’t have been the only child on the list.  Look at this post at Classically Liberal, and see some of the children who have been turned into sex offenders by overreaching, if well meaning, laws.  Look at the Sex Offender Registry card a child received more than 6 months before his 15th birthday.

Read these stories and weep, if you must, but then, get angry.  Get angry at a system, a government, a society that does this to its children.

(H/T: Mark Thompson, Radley Balko and Jamelle)

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